Don’t Miss the WI Bridge Center Section Vol. 55, No. 24 • March 26 - April 1, 2020 FIRST OF A TWO-PART SERIES
Cherry Blossoms Always Return
CBC Answers Calls from Concerned Black Americans Top Issues Include Stimulus Bill, Census and 2020 Vote By D. Kevin McNeir WI Editor @dkevinmcneir
4 Cherry blossoms reached peak bloom and social distancing was out the window for a little while. The National Park Service quickly shut down access to the park and it has been suggested that onlookers view the trees on-line. (Anthony Tilghman/The Washington Informer)
The Congressional Black Caucus [CBC] continues to convene teleconferences with the Black Press, elected officials, nonprofits and other interested African Americans providing updates on how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted the lives and livelihoods of the Black community and what the future may hold. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), CBC chair, led the most recent conversation March 20 which focused on the stimulus bill
After Marshal Tests Positive in D.C., Inmate Safety is Questioned
By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer @StacyBrownMedia
A U.S. deputy marshal at the D.C. Superior Court tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a development underscoring the growing concern the disease may have on the courts and, by extension, the prison system. The novel coronavirus — or COVID-19 — had claimed more than 10,000 lives globally as of Friday. Cases of the disease have topped 244,500 globally. In the United States, the death toll has topped 200, and more than 14,000 people have been infected. While often overlooked, the nation’s jail and prison population could be among the most vulnerable. The marshal’s positive test could also mean that prisoners,
co-workers, and individuals associated with the court and jail could have been exposed. “As a result [of the positive test], we immediately notified those court staff who may have had contact with the deputy marshal and had both courtrooms and the holding cells that adjoin them thoroughly cleaned and disinfected,” said U.S. Marshals Service spokeswoman Leah Gurowitz. Bloomberg News reported that U.S. courts across the country are trying to address the pandemic, including delaying hearings and jury trials and restricting courthouse access for those who have traveled to countries affected by the virus or closing courthouses off to the public outright. According to the Bloomberg report, recent changes
PRISONS Page 4
(estimated to be a package totaling up to $2 trillion dollars) which Congress hoped to approve in the coming days, the Census and the 2020 vote. “We’re in crisis across the nation but we cannot lose momentum,” Bass said referring to the importance of African Americans to reply to recently-mailed questionnaires from the U.S. Census Bureau as well as registering to vote and preparing for the General Election in November. “We really want to hear from you so you can tell us how the
CBC UPDATE Page 21
Distance Learning Programs Roll Out Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
District Officials Attempt to Bridge Digital Divide Among D.C. Students
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins This week, thousands of District students returning from the spring break spent their first day, not in the classroom, but at home engaged in video conferences, PowerPoint presentations and other online academic
activities coordinated by their teachers. Since D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) declared a public health state of emergency and ordered the shutdown of schools, administrators, teachers, parents and others had been preparing for what school officials have coined as distance
DISTANCING Page 5
Celebrating 55 Years of Service / Serving More Than 50,000 Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area